 Poster: A snowHead
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Merry mas Snowheads - wondering if anyone might have any experience that could help me out.
I recently slipped a disc and have had terrible sciatica pain down my left leg - worst in the glutes but also feeling it lower down the leg and calf too. Ive been on anti-inflammatory meds for a couple of weeks which has helped massively and I'm now walking around in short bursts and its much more of a dull pain (vs the shooting pain I was getting before) but it gets worse the longer I go without sitting down for a bit.
I'm due to go skiing in the second week of Jan (from 11th Jan onwards) so I have a little time between now and then to hopefully mend a bit more.
I have snowboarded most of my life but all the others in the group I am going with are skiiers with a few weeks experience (and I am at that level as a skiier) - so the original plan was for me to ski too. But Im now wondering if it might make more sense to snowboard, as I can put more weight on my front leg (which is the good leg without the siatia) and its easier to sit down and have a break on a snowboard.
Im not sure exactly what my question is - has anyone been skiing or snowboarding with sciatica - how did you get on - any tips to maximise enjoyment and minimise pain? Any input appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@AliAfro, I would be very cautious about going skiing or boarding unless you have sign off from a medic. Have you had an MRI? Most prolapsed discs will resolve over time given rest & physio (the ejected disc material will be absorbed into the body) though the nerve issues can remain for much longer (it took more than 4 years for the nerve issues to completely go for me). You shouldn't ski / board or take part in active sports if there is a risk of causing further nerve damage. I was fortunate from a skiing perspective that my L4 issues happened at Christmas 2020 when the was no possibility of going skiing so just had to rest and do physio
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @AliAfro, I would be very cautious about going skiing or boarding unless you have sign off from a medic. Have you had an MRI? Most prolapsed discs will resolve over time given rest & physio (the ejected disc material will be absorbed into the body) though the nerve issues can remain for much longer (it took more than 4 years for the nerve issues to completely go for me). You shouldn't ski / board or take part in active sports if there is a risk of causing further nerve damage. I was fortunate from a skiing perspective that my L4 issues happened at Christmas 2020 when the was no possibility of going skiing so just had to rest and do physio |
Very sensible advice.
In my case, I just continued to get worse. I should have seen a Orthopedic Surgeon earlier than I did.
Sciatica can have multiple causes....some are more minor and improve with rest and sensible rehab.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I periodically suffered with sciatica over the years and recall two ski holidays where it was quite bad beforehand. I was quite worried thinking it would ruin my trips but Perhaps oddly on both occasions skiing and general increased mobility freed it up and my back improved. I have a set of stretches I use to free inflammation and take naproxen whenever my back issues flare up to good effect.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jirac18 wrote: |
| I periodically suffered with sciatica over the years and recall two ski holidays where it was quite bad beforehand. I was quite worried thinking it would ruin my trips but Perhaps oddly on both occasions skiing and general increased mobility freed it up and my back improved. I have a set of stretches I use to free inflammation and take naproxen whenever my back issues flare up to good effect. |
That was exactly the same with me....until it wasn't. Instead of freeing up, my back seized up.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 23-12-25 18:06; edited 1 time in total
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When I did my L5-S1, the spinal surgeon who looked at it said to lay off sport for a while, but the physio said that moderate exercise was actually very good for it (I didn’t warrant surgery, but did end up losing feeling permanently down my leg and foot). I was still have some intermittent sciatica pain a few months later at the time of my ski trip (the main debilitating pain had subsided after a month or two ), but was pleasantly surprised to find skiing caused no issues whatsoever and in fact had no episodes - a lot of my troubles I came to realise was due to tight quads or hamstrings putting the pelvis in a rotated position which compromised the disc, but found my skiing kept it very neutral - maybe the one and only good thing about my technique  .
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I've gone skiing with sciatica or developed it on a ski holiday due to overly soft beds. Adrenaline can go a long way towards making the skiing doable if you take it easy but in truth it's probably not the ideal way to deal with whatever is causing the sciatica. I found battling with boots and socks to be by far the most painful part. You may well have been advised on exercises by a physio and doing those before and after will help - the classic exercise, and one that usually works well for me is the one where you lie flat on your back, knees flexed at 45 degrees and v slowly roll knees alternately to the R & L (but obviously seek pro advice).
Definitely agree that some exercise can help a lot, not just physically but also mentally. I found an exercise bike very helpful.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've done a 3-day trip with severe sciatica that I picked up staying on an overly soft guest bed the night before the flight. The absolute worst thing was being in ski boots: & walking/having lunch in them was extremely painful. I took a lot of anti-inflammatories & spent a lot of time in the sauna, & it wasn't fun.
I imagine boarding boots would have been a lot less painful: if that's the case for you, I'd certainly recommend boarding.
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Don’t want to be a negative nelly - but have you declared this to your travel insurance?
If your drs say it’s ok to go then worth a try but I would want to be sure that if for some reason I seized on the mountain Id be covered
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sciatica is not nice and anything that aggravates it is not a particularly good thing to do. No real solution, just need to suck it up and load up on pain killers and anti flams.
Step in bindings would be helpful on a board, to avoiding bending over and pushing your disc further on to sciatic nerve.
If you like boarding just do it, or switch to skiing which may be less of an issue on your back.
That said, the posture once riding your board is pretty good for you back and disc, it’s just the bending to get up off the ground that won’t help, but flipping onto your toes to get up would be my preferred method.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi All, thanks for the feedback.. To answer a few questions:
I saw a GP who referred me to an orthopaedic consultant who got me to show him my range of movement and where it hurts. He has referred me for an MRI in a coule of days and a follow up consultation on 2nd Jan - so I'll be sure to get his OK before finalising my skiing/riding plans but... after doing all the range of motion tests he said he was 99% sure its a slipped disc and the MRI is just to be sure there is nothing else we need to know about. He recommended physio and the physio i spoke to (who i havent seen in person yet) said there is a balance to be struck between keeping mobile but not overdoing it.
My leg continues to get better and i am staying on my feet and walking longer and longer before it starts to hurt, and when the pain comes it has more of a dull pain compared to previous shooting pains.
So in summary - yes I will listen to doctors orders - and yes I will notify my travel insurance co. and yes I will take it easy!
Thanks again!
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| AliAfro wrote: |
....said there is a balance to be struck between keeping mobile but not overdoing it.
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Yup....and that's the tricky part.
IME. Take an overly cautious approach to start with and very gently up the ante, as going in a little too hard at the beginning can screw you up for several days. This is easier said than done, as there is usually a (very!) strong temptation to push a bit hard when the ski legs start returning.
Take a hot shower or bath before going out in the morning to help with getting loosened up.
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You know it makes sense.
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@AliAfro, first of all, good luck with the seemingly ongoing improvements.
I suffer from an historic lower back problem which exhibits symptoms similar to those you describe. Very tight glutes, pain in right thigh, sometimes into the calve. Occasionally it’s excruciating and I often get onto Diclofenac for three-four days just to get on top of things. Currently, it’s an issue, and has been for about 4 weeks. The cause for me, originally, was an accident when I was 14 and the damage wasn’t diagnosed. At least, not until it was thoroughly investigated some 30 years later at which point it was too late to do anything.
As other have said, getting the balance right between keeping everything mobile but not overdoing things is not always easy. A recent addition to my ‘regime’ has been hanging - I have a bar set up that I can grip and hen full weight hang until my back has ‘straightened’ out. I also twist at the waist which similarly aids mobility without stressing the pain area. I walk about 2km a day (aside from working etc during the day). Trying to keep the weight down also helps….not the best time of year for that 
I understand that these things are personal. Weirdly, for me, skiing isn’t affected. In fact, skiing, and the range of movement (angulation, flexing at waist, knee, ankle etc) is the one thing guaranteed to alleviate the pain. Hopefully, that’ll be your experience, too.
Anyway, as mentioned, good luck. Hope you find a way to get skiing and in relative comfort.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I broke my femur many years ago which left me with one leg slightly shorter than the other. This lead to back issues and ultimately a disc bulge on several occasions when I was bedridden for about 4 days each time while I waited for the drugs to kick in and the muscle spasms to subside.
The sciatica has been a constant companion for varying degrees over the last 40 years and I will say that skiing has not been affected..
I'd recommend asking your physio / osteopath to check your leg lengths and also whether you have flat feet. Both of these potentially genetic issues create all sort of biomechanical issues with your spine which can cause the sciatica problems.
I was unable to stand still for more than 10 minutes for years without intense pain in my legs until I got orthotics fitted and they make a world of difference. (I do put them in my ski boots)
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